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Sunday, May 22, 2016

Sunday Drive: Merchants Beach, 1960

One of our regular campsites on the Oregon Coast was at Merchants Beach, now part of Seven Devils State Recreation Site. Our stay began with a call on the owner, Mr. Albert Merchant, to ask permission to camp on his property which which he always graciously gave. Our ultimate goal was to park the trailer close to the ocean but every year the private road leading there needed its serious potholes filled in before Dad would venture the trailer on it so we would spend a night or two in the pasture near the road first--with the cows.

[Merchants Beach, farmhouse on the right, from my personal collection]

We found lots of agate and petrified wood on the beach and there were tiny super-sweet wild strawberries growing on the hillsides. Although there was a small stream flowing through the field we always brought in our own water because of the cows.

From an internet search we learn that the property remains in the Merchant family and there is now a large modern farm house available for vacation rental. I also found a video taken at the beach last year--now that the cows are gone, the vegetation on the hillsides has really grown.

After a week or so hunting agates on the often windy beach, we were ready to head inland to thaw out.